


That's My Girl (Part 3)

by wordstothewisereaders



Series: That's My Girl [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Cas is a proud papa, Dad!Dean, Dean has growing pains, DeanCas - Freeform, Destiel - Freeform, M/M, Nightmares, Surprise guest - Freeform, dad!Cas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-21
Updated: 2017-07-21
Packaged: 2018-12-04 22:01:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11564208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordstothewisereaders/pseuds/wordstothewisereaders
Summary: It is not a new concept that parents are prone to have growing pains as their kids grow older. Especially fathers. It is like empty nest syndrome, except the parent is already missing their child, even though they are still living at home. Dean Winchester has a heavy case of this, but not only because his and Cas’ little girl is already in kindergarten, but also because the nightmares - more like premonitions - plaguing her since she was two are growing stronger. And both are afraid to admit what they think is the cause.





	That's My Girl (Part 3)

**Author's Note:**

> I promise that the next part will have more of a plot, but I had to use this one to get ready for the next!!

"Alright, princess, you've got your bag ready?" Dean asked, turning to Jo who was laying on her bed, clad in pajamas.

"Yeah." 

"You're sure this is what you want to wear?" he asked as he held up her favorite blue dress. 

"Mhmm." she replied positively.

"And remember to get your lunch from me, okay?" 

"Okay, Daddy." 

"Last thing. What's my phone number?" 

She rattled off the ten digits by heart, seeming a bit exasperated by such a silly question.

Jo was off to kindergarten the next day. She was five now, and the school had accepted her a year early because she had done so well on their reading admittance 'test.' Cas was beyond proud. He was elated that his little girl was already excelling. He knew she was going to be something else. Dean, on the other hand, was a complete wreck. Don't get him wrong, he was more proud of her than he had ever been. but he couldn't seem to wrap his head around the fact that she was five, no less that she was starting school. He was not ready to let her go. 

"I think you're ready." Dean said, half relieved and fully nervous. He tucked her in, handing her her stuffed bee and kissing her forehead gently. "Sleep tight, sweetheart."

Cas approached him from behind, laying a gentle hand on Dean's back, "Goodnight. Love you." He kissed her cheek, wrapping an arm around her. 

"G'night, Daddy." she whispered back, nestling into her pillow. "Night, Papa. Love you."

***

Dean woke up sweating the next morning, sheets tangled around him. He slammed his hand down on his alarm, wanting the incessant beeping to stop. Cas was staring up at him, blue eyes clouded with concern. 

"What is it?" he asked sleepily, taking Dean's hand in his own.

"N-nothing." Dean said, holding his head with his free hand. 

"Dean, you know I don't buy that anymore." Cas countered, putting on his best no bullshit face.

"Bad dream, 'kay?" Dean replied, sliding back down in bed. 

"Dean, please."

"She's already goin' to kindergarten, Cas. And what if something happens? What if we're sending her off too early? What if something goes wrong? I mean, we screamed ourselves hoarse at Chuck for help, and he never even sent a friggin' acknowledgement. What if-mmph!" Dean rambled, swiftly being cut off by Cas' lips on his own, moving soothingly.

"I'm going to miss her, too, but she's going to do amazingly, Dean. I have faith in her." Cas said, giving him one last chaste peck. 

Dean nodded to himself, crawling out of bed and towards the shower. He was going to have a long day ahead.

***

Jo excitedly came in to the kitchen. She sneaked up on Dean at the stove and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Mornin', sweetheart." Dean smiled to himself.

She moved on to Cas, tugging at his arm until he embraced her. 

"Sleep well?" Cas asked. 

"Mhmm. 'm ready, Papa." Jo answered happily, climbing into the chair next to him. 

Dean felt his heart skip a beat as he listened and turned to his brother with wide-eyes. Sam shot back a you're screwed smirk.

Correction: it was going to be a very very long day.

***

Dean, Cas and Jo piled into the Impala after breakfast. Dean was holding himself together pretty well until they pulled into the front drive of the school. 

All three got out. Cas pulled Jo into a bear hug and kissed her cheek. 

"Good luck. I love you." Cas said warmly. 

"Love you, Papa."

Next, Dean pulled her into one of the biggest, most love filled hugs he had ever given. 

"I love you, baby." Dean whispered. 

"I love you, too, Daddy." 

And before he knew it, Dean was watching his little girl walk with her too-big backpack and tiny little sneakers right into the school. He wiped away the stray tear that had escaped from eye and turned to Cas, unsurprised to see his eyes getting red and glassy, too. 

"You big softie." Dean mumbled to Cas, pulling him into a hug that was nothing but choked back tears and comfort. You would have sworn someone had died. 

"It's alright, Dean. It's just kindergarten." Cas said reassuringly, partially to himself. 

They drove back home and did anything they could to distract themselves until 3:00.

***

Kindergarten was going exceptionally well for Jo. She was already ahead after a few months - well, as ahead as you can be in kindergarten. She and Cas had already started reading books that kids were just starting in one or two grades above her, where her other dad was helping her tidy up her handwriting. Dean was getting used to the process and came to appreciate every little moment with her even more. 

"Alright, sweetheart, hold down the fort for us while we're gone. And watch your papa. You know he's a troublemaker." Dean said, kissing Jo's cheek. 

The little girl giggled, nestling further in between Cas and Dean's arms that were wrapped around her. All three were stuffed into her bed, enjoying their time together before Dean left the next day. They had found that there had been a Croatoan outbreak in Texas, and no one was doing anything to stop it. It had demolished a city in less than a week, and, finally, Sam had convinced Dean to come with him to stop it. He didn't want to go - hell, he had fought his brother on it for hours - but it became clearer as it got worse that he wasn't going to let Sam go alone or let anyone else fall victim. That left just Cas and Jo, for Eileen was leaving for a small case of her own for a couple of days.

Later, Cas pulled Dean back to their own room, claiming all of them needed rest. 

"You guys be careful. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Dean warned as he snuggled into Cas. 

"I should be the one telling you that. Come back and not from the dead. I mean alive. I'd hate to have to pull your ass from Hell again." Cas grumbled sleepily. 

"Aww am I really that much trouble?" Dean joked, but it was unheard, because Cas was already snoring softly beside him. 

***

Cas got Jo ready and dropped her off alone without a hitch. He was back at the bunker earlier than he and Dean ever were together. He almost laughed at that. And the fact that Dean had actually left his Baby behind for Cas to drive while he and Sam were gone. "We've domesticated her." was his claim, but Cas knew it was just another sign showing how bad his husband wanted to stay home.

The bunker was too quite with the other two occupants gone, and Cas wasn't much for it. He finally decided around lunch that he had to turn on Dean's record player for background noise while he cleaned throughout different rooms in a pair of worn sweats and an old t-shirt. The library was nearly spotless when his phone interrupted him. 

"Hello?...Okay...Yes, of course. I'll be there right away...Thank you." Cas spoke, panic coursing through his veins like fire as he listened to the lady on the other end. It was the kindergarten teacher, calling to say that Jo had had a nightmare during nap time and needed to be picked up. Cas dressed as quickly as he could, pulling on the first decent pair of jeans and nearest shirt that he could find, which at this point he was sure were Dean's. 

He hopped into the Impala, barely remembering to grab his wallet and the keys, before speeding to the school. Jo was waiting in the front office, looking disgruntled, upset, and relieved to see her father. She ran up to Cas and clutched his hand. He was surprised by how well she was holding it together for a five year old. 

"Mr. Winchester, I suggest you talk to her when you get home. It wasn't pleasant." the teacher said over her glasses, looking aggravated more than concerned.

"I think I can handle it." Cas retorted, sensing the insincerity. "You ready to go home?" 

"Mhmm." Jo nodded. 

"Let's go." 

***

Dean and Sam were home before dawn after Dean recieved Cas' voicemail, making the trip in half the time it should have taken. Apparently he had taken the shortest route to finishing the case which had almost proven deadly if they woud have been any slower. He didn't care, however, because there were far more pressing matters. 

Dean burst through the bunker door and down the stairs to find Cas waiting expectantly. 

"Is she okay?" he asked harshly through a busted lip. 

"She's fine. I think the question is if you're okay. It looks like you barely made it out of an explosion." Cas noted concernedly. 

"It's because we did. Somebody made a bomb because they couldn't wait any longer." Sam said, cutting his eyes to Dean.

The younger Winchester had a bruise covering the entirety of his left cheek, not to mention his ragged jeans. Cas noticed the way he held himself in a way that showed where the pain was in his side. He suspected bruised ribs at best. 

Dean looked considerably worse. His eye was almost swollen shut, and the leg of his pants was torn open to reveal a gash running from his knee to the middle of his shin. His right arm looked as if it had been popped out of its socket. Cas knew it would be a bitch setting it back. 

The former angel pulled his husband to him, kissing him lightly. Dean groaned, though not in a positive way. He pulled back jerkily, hand going to grasp the opposite arm. 

"I'm sorry." Cas mumbled. 

"'s alright. Where is she? I want to see her." Dean said, limping past Cas in a way that looked beyond painful. 

"Dean, you look awful. She doesn't need to see you like this." Cas argued. 

"Please, Cas, I just want to make sure she's okay." Dean pleaded. 

"Fine, but she's sleeping."

Cas followed his husband to Jo's room, watching as he just barely cracked open the door. He could see some of the extra tension leave Dean's shoulders as he finally saw what he had to have confirmed. 

***

Afterwards, Cas dragged Dean back to their room, forcing him to sit on the bed. Dean braced himself as he watched the other man get ready to pop his shoulder back. He closed his eyes, not ready. 

"Alright, 1...2 -" 

Crack

Dean yelled out stiffly in pain, gritting his teeth. "What happened to three?" 

"You didn't expect it, did you? It would have been much worse if I would have waited until three." Cas stated, moving to find alcohol and bandages. 

Not minutes later, a tiny hand was pushing open the door to their room and stopping dead in front of Dean, wide eyed. 

"Hey, baby. What's wrong?" Dean asked, scooping her up into a tight hug. 

"I saw this." Jo stated, staring at her dad with wide eyes after she finished hugging him. 

"What do you mean?" Dean asked, panicking ever so slightly. 

"I dreamed this. Something went boom and gave you these." she explained, gesturing to his wounds. "Are you going to be okay, Daddy?"

"I'll be fine, baby. I promise." Dean said reassuringly. "Why don't you let Papa finish patching me up, then we can all spend the night together, alright?" 

Jo nodded before leaving reluctantly, wanting to make sure her dad was okay. 

"This ain't good, Cas." Dean said wearily as his husband knelt to deal with his leg. "We could call Chuck again, make sure it's not-" 

"It's not, Dean, okay? It can't be." Cas practically barked back, ducking his head. 

"Hey, look at me. I know you hate it, because I do, too. But we have to consider it. It's all lining up, and we're in desperate need of help." Dean slowly pushed Cas' face up to meet his eyes. 

Cas nodded, "I'm sorry." 

He wrapped Dean's leg in silence the rest of the time, keeping all of his bad thoughts at bay. Maybe it wasn't what Dean and he swore it was. Maybe their daughter was just seeing things. 

The ideas didn't leave Cas, even after the three of them were nestled as close together as they could be in the men's bed. It certainly didn't help him when he was neary asleep a couple of hours later when he heard an all too familiar noise by the doorway. 

Dean shot up, clicking on the light and pulling a pistol from beneath his pillow. He aimed at the black-clad figure, nearly ready to fire, when it spoke.

"Hello, boys."


End file.
